ULM countdown: Most interesting games this season

The News-Star college beat writers Tabby Soignier and Sean Isabella are counting down the most interesting games on the college football schedule for ULM, Louisiana Tech and Grambling State.

Which opponents fall at No. 1? Well, I guess it's a process of elimination now but still see Wednesday's print edition of The News-Star as to why we believe these games rank as the most amusing.

No. 1 vs. Wake Forest

Aug. 28, 6:02 p.m.

This is the most important game because it is indeed the next game, right?

The season opener will also be the perfect time to show a national audience that the Warhawks are a talented team that can compete with schools in AQ conferences after creating a buzz in 2012 and falling somewhat flat in 2013 with a load of expectations.

It will also be important to pull out a win with the other three out of conference games coming against SEC schools and on the road.

No. 2 UL-Lafayette at ULM,

Nov. 15, 6 p.m.

The big in-state rival seems to get more interesting each year, especially as of late.

The Ragin' Cajuns have made a path that the Sun Belt title goes through and received all 11 first-place votes in the preseason coaches poll last month.

A lot of people thought the title would be decided in the final weekend of last season for the two teams, but ULM faltered last November with two losses leading into the rivalry game. The Warhawks managed to end on a somewhat good note with a win over the Cajuns in Lafayette to finish 6-6, marking the first time to record back-to-back bowl eligible seasons in school history.

Now the goal is an outright SBC championship. If the Warhawks go into Senior Day undefeated in the SBC, this could very likely be for the gold.

No. 3 ULM at Arkansas State,

Oct. 4, 6 p.m.

The Sun Belt title always goes through Arkansas State, a team that has won an outright or share of the title for the past three seasons and ULM has not won in Jonesboro since 2001. The Red Wolves will also be under their fifth coach in five years as Blake Anderson becomes the new leader after the past three have moved on to bigger programs after just one season, including two SEC coaches Hugh Freeze (Ole Miss) and Gus Malzahn (Auburn). The Warhawks will also serve as the Sun Belt opener for ASU after four OOC games.

No. 4 ULM vs. Troy,

Sept. 27, 6 p.m.

The Warhawks play three of their first four games at home to start the season, and Troy will be the first tall task for ULM in Sun Belt play. Coach Todd Berry is 3-0 against Troy, but the contest has never been less than 42 combined points. Last year's game totaled 86 with the Warhawks escaping Alabama with a 49-37 victory. The conference contest has fallen in late October the past three times, but with a September meeting, ULM does not need to dig itself in a hole early in the Sun Belt standings.

No. 5 at Kentucky

Oct. 11, TBA

Out of the three SEC teams on the schedule, the Wildcats could be the most likely for ULM to upset on the road.

Former Sun Belt member Western Kentucky beat Kentucky in the season opener last year, ruining first-year head coach Mark Stoops' debut. Stoops and his staff rolled up their sleeves, though, in the offseason signing an impressive freshman class. However, ULM's older squad could play into its favor — especially if the Warhawks start off their Sun Belt schedule with wins against normal favorites Troy and Arkansas State.

The ULM game is also sandwiched between two hefty SEC opponents for Kentucky, who host South Carolina the week before and travel to LSU the week after the Warhawks visit Lexington.

No. 6

ULM at LSU

Sept. 13, 7 p.m.

The most exciting thing about the trip to Baton Rouge, is sadly most Monroe natives are just thrilled to get a cheap ticket into Tiger Stadium.

The Warhawks will be on the road for the first time this season when they face LSUfor the first time since Todd Berry's first season — a 51-0 loss in 2010. Granted the defense held the Tigers to 90 yards in the first half, so maybe a mature ULM defense versus a young LSU quarterback could keep things decent in the first of three SEC games on the Warhawks schedule this season.

Another perk, every ULM starter has played in a hostile environment, considering its murderous OOC schedule each year, and the only newcomer QB Pete Thomas already knows hostile environments after playing in the ACC last season.

No. 7

ULM at Texas A&M

Nov. 1, TBA

This could easily be the most interesting game had Heisman winner Johnny Manziel stayed another year in College Station, but that would be the only amusing thing about the contest.

ULM faces a murderous schedule as the only FBS school in the country to play all its non-conference games against teams from the Power Five conferences.

Without Manziel, maybe the Warhawks can catch the team offguard, but with it coming so late in the season, it's safe to say coach Kevin Sumlin will have all the kinks worked out with November being a revealing time for all teams in the college football world.

No. 8

Texas State at ULM

Oct. 25, 6 p.m.

Texas State joined the SBC last season with ULM traveling to San Marcos. Safety Isaiah Newsome had two pick sixes to make the difference in a 21-14 win after a last-second ULM TD, led by backup QB Brayle Brown.

With Kolton Browning hurt and the Bobcats with a new QB, the offensive sparks were pretty sparse. Texas State is now one of just two veteran SBC teams with a returning QB in 2014.

By the time the seventh game comes around, hopefully ULM's QB looks like a vet too, making the offense look a lot more explosive than it did a year ago.

No. 9

Sept. Sept. 6

vs. Idaho, 6 p.m. ESPN3

This could easily be No. 12 on the most amusing list, but it's the Sun Belt opener for both, and comes in Week 2 of the season. Plus, it's in Monroe.

ULM and Idaho were two of the inaugural teams of the conference in 2001, but the Vandals left after 2004 with the teams splitting 2-2 in their meetings — neither recorded a winning season during that time.

Idaho moved to the WAC and only had one winning season in 2009 and has had a combined four wins in the past three seasons. The Vandals finished 1-11 last season in Paul Petrino's first season as head coach.

No. 10

Nov. 10

at Appalachian State, TBA

Appalachian State may be the most competitive team out of the FCS schools that are moving to the Sun Belt. The Mountaineers, known for their upset win at Michigan in 2007, will open this season back at The Big House.

Head coach Scott Satterfield is familiar with ULM, after facing the Warhawks as the offensive coordinator at then-Sun Belt school FIU in 2010-2011. The Warhawks also have to travel to Boone, a place with a well-established fanbase after winning three straight FCS national titles from 2005-07.

ULM plays at Texas A&M the week before, so it will be important for the team to remain healthy before jumping back into SBC play.

No. 11

at Georgia Southern

Nov. 29, 5 p.m.

ULM wraps up the season at Georgia Southern, and it will be the second time in as many weeks the Warhawks will face a new Sun Belt team that is making the jump from FCS.

Georgia Southern is entering the next level of football on a high after claiming national recognition last season when it beat Florida, which likely led to head coach Jeff Monken getting the job at Army.

The Eagles are now under the direction of Willie Fritz, who left Sam Houston for the job, and is assigned the task of making the move to FBS as smooth as possible. The team already knows success with six national titles on the FCS level, so making an immediate splash in FBS is not out of the question.

No. 12

at New Mexico State

Nov. 22, 7 p.m.

The Warhawks travel west one week after wrapping up their home slate as they renew their Sun Belt match up at New Mexico State.

The Aggies left the conference after the 2004 season and have not recorded a winning season since. In fact, their last winning season came in 2002, which just so happened to the be the last time ULM played in Las Cruces and lost 34-21.

Not only will be it be difficult for NMSU to be competitive in its first season back in the Sun Belt, but ULM should also be clicking on all cylinders by the time it gets to November, barring any injuries that seem to hamper the team late into the year.